Chapter 435: Still Suspected to Be a Divine Immortal

The vast ocean stretched endlessly, its deep blue waves shimmering under the sunlight. A small boat drifted across the surface.

Onboard, one person lay lazily, while another rowed the boat.

Faint conversation drifted over the water.

“Lady Calico, your rowing skills are becoming more and more impressive,” Song You said, lounging lazily on the boat. A wide bamboo hat shielded him from the scorching sun as he hugged a coconut, sipping from it through a thin bamboo straw.

He looked at the young girl in a straw raincoat and wide-brimmed hat, rowing the boat steadily. “At first glance, I almost thought you were an old fisherman who’s spent their entire life at sea.”

“I’m amazing!” the girl declared proudly.

“Not only amazing, but you can also row very quickly.”

“Exactly! Very quickly!” Hearing this, the young girl immediately picked up her pace, rowing even faster.

“Lady Calico, you’re not getting tired, are you?”

“I’m not tired!”

“That’s true. Someone as amazing as you wouldn’t get tired just from a little bit of rowing.” As he spoke, Song You turned his head slightly and pointed in a direction. “Let’s head that way.”

“Got it!” The young girl enthusiastically paddled forward with even more energy.

Ahead, a few rocks jutted out just above the water’s surface.

Two figures sat on one of the exposed rocks.

The two figures on the reef were both strong and imposing, sitting cross-legged on the rocks without moving, as though they had been there for a long time. From a distance, they appeared like statues, with the surrounding spiritual energy naturally converging around them.

“Bang...”

The small wooden boat bumped into the reef. The young girl gasped and quickly turned to check the situation.

Luckily, the boat wasn’t damaged.

The two figures had already opened their eyes. With synchronized movements, they stood up and bowed toward Song You.

𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

“Greetings, Immortal Master.”

“We have been waiting for you for quite some time.”

“Are the two islands to your liking?” Song You asked. Dressed in a straw raincoat and wide-brimmed hat, he looked just like a seasoned old fisherman.

However, without waiting for their response, he continued, “In my opinion, for two great demons like yourselves, whose true forms are as large as mountains, those two islands seem a bit cramped as your cultivation grounds.”

He added, “Fortunately, during my recent travels through this sea region, I’ve discovered a vast area filled with numerous islands, all brimming with spiritual energy and mystical resonance. Since I’ve taken the Eastern Soil from this area and am unsure of the future changes it may bring, I would like to invite the two of you to stay here and help me watch over it.”

“Are you saying that this entire sea region and its islands will become our cultivation grounds?”

“What about the Sea Dragon King? Would he agree to this?”

“To replace the effects of the Eastern Soil, I have set up a large formation covering this sea region,” Song You explained. “From now on, it will be difficult for any beings from the outside world to enter. If you’re willing to stay, I’ll need you to help maintain the formation and ensure its spiritual energy doesn’t deplete. Watch over the islands and keep the seas calm.”

He added, “If any kingdom experiences turmoil due to the diminished spiritual resonance, you can notify me immediately. I’d also like you to monitor sea travel—if the Sea Dragon King stirs up trouble again, you’ll have the authority to act freely across this ocean from now on.”

“So the recent changes in the spiritual resonance of this area were your doing, sir.”

“We are willing.”

“There’s nothing more to explain to you two,” Song You said. “I only hope that you both can cultivate here peacefully and not abuse your power. That way, you won’t let me down.”

He raised his hand and wrote two glowing runes in the air. The radiant symbols hovered without dispersing. With a casual wave of his hand, the runes flew toward the two great demons—these were the credentials they would need to control the formation.

With beings of their level, there was no need for lengthy instructions.

“Thank you, Immortal Master!”

“We will not fail to repay your great kindness!”

“Rest assured, if that Sea Dragon King dares to break his promise and stirs up trouble on the seas again, you won’t have to intervene. The two of us will give it our all and kill him on these very waters!” the two demons said solemnly.

“Thank you both.”

Song You trusted their integrity. He had seen it firsthand back at Mount Ye.

“Let’s go, Lady Calico.”

“Alright...”

The young girl pushed the oars backward, and the small boat began to drift away from the reef.

Standing at the bow, Song You formed a hand seal and cast a spell.

“Buzz...”

In the distance, between the sea and sky, lights began to flicker one by one.

Far beyond what the eye could see, it was as if invisible curtains were descending from the sky and rising from the ocean. One by one, the islands became shrouded in mist or distorted and blurred, creating an illusion like a mirage. Moments later, they vanished entirely from the surface of the sea.

The small boat drifted slowly into the vast, endless ocean, eventually becoming nothing more than a tiny black dot on the horizon.

At this moment, the sea had become noticeably cooler compared to when they first arrived.

Even though it was still a sunny day, with the sun shining intensely, the warmth that penetrated through their clothes had weakened significantly.

“The Beginning of Autumn is almost here...”

“The Beginning of Autumn is almost here?”

The young girl rowing the boat instantly caught the key point. Her hands continued rowing, but her eyes were fixed directly on him.

“Yes.”

“Then I’m another year older.”

“Indeed.”

“How many years has it been now?”

“It’s the ninth year of the Mingde era.”

“Nine years...”

Lady Calico looked up at the sky and did a little mental calculation.

Even if she only counted from the day she first met the Daoist and gained the ability to transform into a human, it had already been eight years.

How come she still hadn’t grown much taller? She suddenly felt a little troubled.

Meanwhile, the Daoist had already picked up the fishing rod gifted to him by Magistrate Lu. He found a small fish from the water basin on the boat, baited the hook, and, mimicking what Lady Calico had done before, cast his line into the sea to fish.

***

At the county office in Lan'an County, Langzhou...

Today, the county office had a guest. It was said the visitor was a sea merchant from Yangzhou.

Yangzhou had always been a prosperous region, and sea merchants, despite the risks, often made fortunes as if they were scooping gold from overseas. When a group of such wealthy merchants unexpectedly visited this remote county bearing gifts, Magistrate Lu was curious. However, he didn’t put on any airs and welcomed them warmly.

It didn’t take long for the conversation to reveal something incredible—

These sea merchants had only just returned from the Changbi Nation two months ago.

This was no small feat.

Over the past year, the sea had been plagued by frequent storms, many of which were powerful enough to capsize ships. Some sailors had even claimed to see the silhouette of a giant dragon amidst the stormy skies and crashing waves, saying that the Sea Dragon King was angry.

Throughout the year, coastal regions had seen sea merchants frantically making offerings and burning incense in prayer. But even the most devout worshippers had only received one consistent message from the gods—do not venture out to sea during this period. There had been no news of anyone daring to set sail or successfully returning from overseas.

Let alone from somewhere as distant as the Changbi Nation.

Magistrate Lu, who had not entered the government through the imperial examination system but had once been a merchant himself, held no prejudice against the merchant class. On the contrary, he admired their boldness and engaged them in further conversation.

What he learned next was even more astonishing.

The merchants explained that they had been stranded in the Changbi Nation for over half a year. When the storms began to subside, they finally gathered the courage to set sail again.

But the journey home was still fraught with danger—they had to fight off sea demons climbing aboard their ship in the dead of night, outwit sea beasts ten times the size of their sailing vessel, and weather fierce storms. They even claimed to have seen the Sea Dragon King with their own eyes.

After returning to Yangzhou, they had been gripped with fear and relief.

They took time to rest and recover from their ordeal. During that period, many other sea merchants from Yangzhou visited them, eager to learn about the safety of the seas. Busy with these meetings, they couldn’t leave until recently. Now, they had finally made time to travel to Lan'an County to seek advice from Magistrate Lu.

Magistrate Lu was both deeply impressed and incredibly curious.

He couldn’t understand why these Yangzhou merchants had come all the way to this remote county to consult a mere magistrate. What were they hoping to learn from him?

“Magistrate, you may not be aware, but when we encountered the Sea Dragon King at sea, there was a fierce storm that day,” explained Mr. Jia, the ship’s captain. “The wind roared, lightning split the skies, and a giant wave—like a towering wall—was about to engulf our ship. At that moment, everyone on board believed we were facing certain death.”

His eyes widened as if still haunted by the memory. “But suddenly, we saw a flash of light—like a blade slicing through the wave. We turned toward the source of the light, and as the lightning lit up the sky, we saw the scene clearly. There, on the surface of the sea, was a small wooden boat. Onboard stood a Daoist and a young girl.”

“Good heavens! You must have encountered divine immortals!” exclaimed the magistrate.

“We thought the same,” Mr. Jia nodded. “When the storm finally passed and the sea calmed at dawn, we invited the immortals aboard our ship. We treated them with the utmost hospitality and asked for their names. But the Daoist denied being an immortal. He only said that he was a cultivator from Yizhou and had set out to sea from Lan'an County in Langzhou.”

“A Daoist from Yizhou?” Magistrate Lu’s eyes widened in shock.

“Yes,” Mr. Jia confirmed with a nod. “After parting ways with the Daoist, we were filled with regret. We hadn’t asked which temple or monastery in Yizhou he belonged to. If we knew, we could have honored him properly—not necessarily by building a shrine in his name, but at the very least, when we retire and stop sailing, we could visit his temple, burn a few sticks of incense, and repay the kindness.

“After returning to Yangzhou, the more we thought about it, the more we regretted not asking. Other sea merchants also said we should have found out. After much deliberation, we decided to come to Lan'an County and ask you, Magistrate Lu, if you know who he is.”

“What did this immortal master look like?”

“He appeared young, dressed in Daoist robes, with an ethereal, otherworldly demeanor,” Mr. Jia replied. “Beside him was a calico cat, and when we first met him, there was also a small Daoist attendant dressed in three-colored clothing and a swallow immortal by his side.”

“...”

Magistrate Lu was stunned, his eyes widening in shock. “You’re telling me this immortal master split a mountain-high wave with a single strike? And after just a few words, the fog cleared, and the sun shone upon the sea?”

“Magistrate, you’ve met the immortal before?”

“Not just met...”

“Oh?” Mr. Jia’s face lit up with excitement. “Then surely, Magistrate, you know where the immortal master cultivates?”

“Of course, I do.”

After his initial shock, Magistrate Lu composed himself and didn’t bother to hide the truth.

However, he had forgotten the name of the Daoist temple. He only remembered it was in Lingquan County, and the Daoist had mentioned a place called Yin-Yang Mountain. He shared this information with the sea merchants, telling them that if they were truly determined, they could seek it out themselves.

Before they left, he grabbed Mr. Jia’s hand eagerly and asked him to recount every detail of that fateful night at sea.

For a moment, it all felt surreal. After talking for a long time, he finally bid the sea merchants farewell.

Left alone in his room, Magistrate Lu couldn’t help but pace back and forth, his mind racing. He suddenly remembered the many stories he had heard about encounters with immortals.

In those stories, it was rare for anyone to recognize an immortal at first glance.

The most perceptive people might suspect they had encountered a highly cultivated Daoist, but even that was considered exceptional insight.

But what kind of Daoist master could calm the winds and waves with a mere gesture?

“Ah, I’m just a mortal with ordinary sight...” Magistrate Lu sighed deeply.

That night, as he lay in bed, tossing and turning, every detail of his encounter with the Daoist replayed in his mind like a vivid memory. Whether it was due to his restless thoughts or a divine dream sent by the immortal himself, once he finally drifted off to sleep, he truly dreamed of the immortal master.

In the dream, everything was hazy and indistinct, as if what he saw was both clear and unclear at the same time. The world was shrouded in mist, and the Daoist stood there, his familiar figure speaking to him.

When Magistrate Lu woke up, the only thing he could remember was that the immortal had told him this: Many years from now, there might be people arriving from the sea—or perhaps not. If they claimed to be from the Little Kingdom, the magistrate was to treat them as maritime refugees seeking to return under the protection of Great Yan and arrange proper accommodations for them.

Even after being awake for a long time, he wasn’t sure whether the dream was real or just a figment of his imagination.

Perhaps he would only know the truth many years later.